The prayer of a righteous man

Power & the prayer of a righteous man

The prayer of a righteous man and the prayer of faith are joined by confession. Faith and character are synergized through brokenness. The prayer of a righteous man is perfectly synchronized with the reality of the spiritual world. The character of the intercessor, the content of his prayer and the prophetic discernment of the moment work together to produce a determined impact in heaven and on earth.

The prayer of Elijah

The prayer of Elijah, contrary to what many affirm, does not represent a prayer of just any man. Elijah was not just any man even though James guaranteed that he was a man subject to like passions as the rest of us.

However, although he was subject to the things that we are also subject to, Elijah chose to be different. Something of the righteousness of God was imputed to his character in spite of all of his weaknesses. The level of dependence on God that he reached gave him a perception and allowed him to penetrate the spiritual world the likes that few have ever known. He made a difference in his generation.

Elijah was so in tune with the laws of the spiritual world and with the will of God that his prayers were affecting the whole nation. Thus was the story of Elijah and can also be yours.

The prayer of a righteous man and the judgment of God

“And he fervently prayed that it not rain, and for 3 ½ years it did not rain upon the earth.”

Judgment always begins with the house of God. The first aspect in the life of someone endued with the prophetic is a sensitivity to sin. The righteous man loves the sinner, but does not tolerate his sin. The judgment of God comes to make the comfortable uncomfortable. What would drive someone to pray fervently for a drought? I believe that it is the discernment of the benefits produced by divine judgment.

We should dispense with the thought that prophecies of judgment are the schemes of the prophets of doom. Unfortunately many wounded people pass themselves off as prophets seeking emotional revenge and self-affirmation. On the other hand, true prophets feel the weight of sin and understand the urgent need of specific confrontations that produce true repentance.

The judgment of God is always preceded by a limited time for repentance. In many cases, the prayer of a righteous man is based on the discernment of sin in the leadership that is troubling the land. Here we have a conflict between the leader and the prophet. Ahab was the leader and Elijah was a prophet. When this conflict was resolved the heavens opened and the rain fell. It is important to mention that the prophet is not above the leader, but he is the channel through which God will try to correct the leaders before judging them. Thus it was between Elijah and Ahab, between Nathan and David, between Haggai and Zerubbabel, etc. Of course it is possible that anyone can immaturely claim himself to be a prophet and this is very dangerous because the Bible warns us:

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” Exodus 20:7

We must know the difference between the prophetic prayer of a righteous man and the irresponsible threats of an immature and wounded prophet.

The prayer of the righteous man and the restoration of the land

“And he prayed again and it rained and the earth produced its fruit”

The purpose of the drought sent by God is to provoke the hunger and thirst for righteousness in society. Judgment comes to remove the deceit and the seduction of sin. Satan is constantly sugarcoating sin. The judgment of God is complete when the seductive deceit of sin is broken and something changes in the hearts of the people. When Ahab repented Elijah changed the direction of his prayer. The prayer of a righteous man is clothed in the reality of the spiritual world.

It is necessary to discern the correct moment to change a prayer. When James stated that Elijah prayed again, this means that he prayed in another way. It was a different prayer that certainly would change the reality of the nation.

He saw a little cloud in the heavens and believed for the rain. It was like a little lock in the sky. He walked around it seven times with the golden key. He put his head between his knees and continued persevering in prayer without becoming distracted from the prayer of a righteous man. He repeated the process seven times until the storm of God came. The prayer of a righteous man unlocks the heavens and refreshment comes.

Elijah ran in the rain of revival with such speed that he passed Ahab in his chariot. Revival enables us to run as fast as those who ride horseback. As a result of Elijah’s prayer a great restoration began to spring forth over the nation that culminated in the destruction of the prophets of Baal and in the restoration of the worship of the true God.

The prayer of a righteous man and the restoration of backsliders

Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

This is the heart of the prayer of a righteous man. Elijah knocked a whole generation of God’s people off the wall of indecision. They were not only undecided, they were backslidden. They hobbled between two lords. They served God, but they also served Baal.

It is a common practice to give up on people who for some reason have given up on life. Jesus compared the kingdom of God with a King that went out to war. Many who have been shot and wounded and others who have been captured have been left behind. These are precious losses which in some way can and must be rescued.

The church lives in a prophetic moment of seeking out these people. The nature of revival has inarguably been characterized by an intense spiritual move of reconciliation, deliverance and restoration of the “lost sheep of the house of Israel”. More than ever we need intercessors! More than ever we need the prayer of a righteous man. Better yet would be the prayers of a righteous generation!